New Delhi: India has achieved a significant milestone in global environmental protection by achieving the ninth position in terms of total forest area globally. Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav made this announcement on Wednesday, citing the Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Bali.
He said this remarkable progress underscores the success of the Indian government’s policies and programs under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aimed at forest conservation, afforestation, and community-led environmental action.
Yadav wrote in a post on X, “India is among the top 9 in the Global Forest Assessment 2025. We have achieved 9th position globally in terms of forest area, compared to 10th in the previous assessment. We have also maintained our third position globally in terms of annual gain. FAO has launched the Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) 2025 in Bali.” The minister said this achievement was due to the Modi government’s plans and policies for conservation and promotion of forests, and large-scale tree plantation efforts by state governments.
He said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to plant a tree ‘Ek Prud Maa Ke Naam’ and promote environmental awareness is increasing awareness and increasing participation of communities and individuals in afforestation. This will ensure a greener tomorrow for generations to come.”
Yadav said that increasing public participation is fostering a strong sense of collective responsibility towards a green and sustainable future. According to the FAO report, the world’s total forest area is 4.14 billion hectares, covering 32 percent of the Earth’s land area. According to the report, more than half (54 percent) of the forest area is located in just five countries: Russia, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and China.
India is among the top 10 forest-rich countries in the world, after Australia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Indonesia. Furthermore, China recorded the highest annual net increase in forest area between 2015 and 2025, at 1.69 million hectares per year, followed by the Russian Federation at 942,000 hectares and India at 191,000 hectares.
Other countries with significant forest cover include Turkey (118,000 hectares), Australia (105,000 hectares), France (95,900 hectares), Indonesia (94,100 hectares), South Africa (87,600 hectares), Canada (82,500 hectares), and Vietnam (72,800 hectares).
Notably, the assessment revealed that Asia is the only region where forest cover increased between 1990 and 2025. China and India contributed the most to this. The FAO stated that forest cover expansion in Asia has played a significant role in slowing global deforestation, while South America and Africa have experienced the most deforestation.
